Vampire Academy: Tainted Rose
by DaniellexangL3
Summary: Being bonded to your best friend is complicated, but being bonded to your enemy is deadly. A war is brewing between the Alchemist and the Moroi world, but how can Rose be any help when her mind is being consumed by darkness? Sequel to 'Vampire Academy: Broken Bond,' and set after Richelle Mead's 'Last Sacrifice' and before 'The Fiery Heart.' DimitrixRose and AdrianxSydney
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome back to any readers of my previous stories, and welcome to any new ones! As promised, here is the sequel to my previous story, 'Broken Bond'! If you haven't read that one yet, I highly suggest you do otherwise this one will not make much sense!  
**  
**For those who have read 'Broken Bond,' just to re-cap the story ended with Rose finding out that she had been bonded to Avery. Lissa also bonded with Christian to save his life, and it is still unclear how Sydney and Adrian managed to escape from the Alchemists, and how Jackie Terwilliger, Eddie, Jill and Angeline got to Court. The first couple of chapters of this story will explain all these things in more detail :)**

**Anyway, I think that's all I need to say for now! I hope you all enjoy the sequel! :D**

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Chapter One

I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE LAST time I'd had a normal night's sleep. It was currently 5:30 in the evening, which was early morning for the Moroi, and I'd only managed to get three hours of scattered sleep. I didn't have to be up for another two hours, but knowing that I wouldn't be able to force myself back to sleep, I decided a hot shower was a better idea.

I sighed with relief as the steaming hot water trickled down my tense body. I took my time washing my long, dark hair and then just stood under the water until it turned cold. I began to shiver, but I forced myself to stay under the water for another few minutes, hoping the freezing temperature would be enough to wake me up. It wasn't.

I had only been bonded to Avery for a month, but the past four weeks had been torture.  
Every time I closed my eyes, I was pulled into Avery's twisted mind. She was constantly using Spirit, and while I was able to block her out most of the time when I was awake, I was yet to discover a way to keep her out when I was asleep.

Sonja's and Oksana's trick of charming pieces of silver to supress the darkness had worked in the beginning, but Avery was using such a high magnitude of Spirit that it didn't take the darkness long to break through. Even Sydney and Jackie had tried to use some of their magic on me, but nothing so far had worked.

Every hour of every day I could feel my mind slowly tearing itself apart. My mood was erratic and often vicious, causing me to offend everyone on a daily basis. I was hurting my friends- I could see it in their eyes-but they never admitted it. Every time I had an outburst, they all told me they understood, and that they were just worried. But I knew things couldn't continue to go on like this. I needed to find a way to break the bond with Avery, and I needed to do it before I lost my mind.

Hopping out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my shaking body and headed out of the room. All Guardians who served the Queen lived in small studio apartments that were located on the lower levels of her living quarters. And it was definitely an improvement from my tiny room back at the academy. Here I got my own private bathroom, and even my own flat screen TV and plush couch…

I stopped in my tracks as I noticed a tall figure sitting on the edge of my bed.

Dimitri.

His eyes locked with mine, and then trailed down the length of my half-naked body, and I had to remind myself to breathe again. I forced my legs to start moving, and walked right past him like I hadn't even realised he was here. I stopped at my closet and slid the door open. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a top at random and threw them on the bed next to Dimitri, who raised his eyebrows at me.

"Really? You're just going to ignore me?"

I shrugged as I opened my bedside draws and grabbed out some underwear and my favourite black bra.

"I'm not in the mood for another one of your interventions Comrade," I muttered.

"Well, I wouldn't call them interventions, but that's not why I'm here."

I stopped moving around and faced Dimitri, who had a look on his face that I hadn't seen in a while.

Desire.

During the briefing we'd had after I'd woken up in hospital, I had learnt why Zoe had been at Court in the first place. It turned out that Avery had charmed a silver necklace to disguise Zoe to look exactly like me. Out of everything, this was the news Dimitri had feared telling me about the most. He felt so guilty about having not realised it was me instantly, that he expected me to feel betrayed and furious with him, but I wasn't. I knew how powerful Spirit was. After all, I was the one who had had it used against them to reveal vital information- information that had almost gotten my friends and a group of innocent people killed.

But even though I had forgiven him, Dimitri was having a harder time. He had been by my side this entire time, but he was holding back physically, believing that he didn't deserve me in that way. But I had other thoughts about that.

Smirking, I dropped my towel and gestured in front of me.

"Then please, enlighten me as to why you're here."

My smile grew as I saw his eyes widen and his mouth part. But, he stayed where he was.

"I'm here because Jill, Eddie and Angeline are going to be leaving soon. I thought you might want to say goodbye," he stated, keeping his eyes focused on mine.

I frowned.

"When did this all happen?"

"It was only decided last night, but only a few people know about their departure for security reasons."

I knew Jill was going to be leaving Court again, but hadn't been sure when that was going to be. We had been waiting on a new safe location to be confirmed, since they weren't able to go back to Palm Springs. With all that had happened with the Alchemists, the Vote hadn't taken place, and had to be pushed back until they could sort out all the new drama that had unfolded. This meant that Jill's life was still on the line, and that she would have to go back into hiding.

On the positive side, majority of the Royal Council had complete faith in Lissa and her ruling, and had apologised profusely for not believing her in the first place. Everyone looked to her for advice about the dilemma with the Alchemists, so when she requested that Sydney and Jackie stay here in Court- explaining that they would be able to help them win this fight- no-one objected. And while it was true that they would help us figure out the Alchemist's plans, the real reason why they were staying at Court was to keep them safe. Sydney's kind was after her, while our own kind was after Jill. To describe their situation as complicated would be a major understatement.

"I hate this," I mumbled as I started to put my clothes on. "Jill shouldn't have to leave again, Sydney shouldn't have to be in the middle of a war between her kind and ours, and life just should not be this complicated!"

Dimitri's arms wrapped around my waist, and I leaned my back into him as I tried to calm down.

"Shhh… just breathe Roza, just breathe." His soft voice tickled the back of my neck.

I turned around and pressed my head against his chest. Listening to the beating of his heart always helped keep the darkness at bay.

When my breathing had returned to normal, I pulled back so I could face Dimitri. The only clothes I had managed to get on was my black bra and underwear, and I knew by his heavy breathing that Dimitri was very much aware of this too.

"So when exactly are they leaving?"

"In 45 minutes," he breathed.

I reached up and stroked the side of his face. His eyes slid shut, and I tilted my head to press my lips against his. His grip tightened around my waist as he deepened the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he lifted me up and placed me gently on the bed.

Dimitri hovered above me, and I could see the guilt start to return to his eyes.

"No, you need to stop this," I said softly. "Seeing you punish yourself like this is hurting me more than anything else ever could."

"But-"

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down, covering his mouth with my own. I ripped his duster off, and slipped his shirt over his head with speed I didn't think I had the energy for. But I needed him, and I thought he needed me too until he pushed himself away and off the bed.

"I'm sorry, I just can't…"

And then it clicked.

"Why? Because you feel guilty, or because you can't tell whether this is really me?" I hissed.

I grabbed my clothes from the ground and hastily threw them on. I avoided his gaze as I brushed passed him and headed for the door. It was clear now why he had been on edge ever since we had returned to Court. He'd been burned once with Zoe, and now he was too scared to let his guard down in case something like that ever happened again.

I could feel the darkness building inside me, and I knew that if I stayed I would say something to Dimitri that I would regret. I was pissed with him, but Spirit would take my anger to a whole new level and I didn't want Dimitri to be on the other end of that.

I reached for the door handle, but my path was blocked.

"Wait Rose, just listen," he pleaded, placing his hands on my shoulders. "You're right, I've been keeping my distance. But it has nothing to do with Zoe…"

My heart pounded rapidly in my chest as I tried to subdue darkness.

"Then what's going on? Cause I can't keep doing this Comrade."

I looked up to see concern fill his eyes- the same concern I now knew I had been mistaking for guilt.

"Being bonded to Avery has sent all your emotions into a spiral. You've been fighting back the side effects of Spirit every moment of every day, and I didn't want to add to that," he breathed.

"What are you talking about? How could you possibly add to it? If anything, you're exactly what I need!"

"All couples have disagreements Rose, and we're no different. But Spirit's darkness would escalate that anger and frustration, greatening the impact it's already got on you. I hate seeing you in pain, and I want to do everything in my power to lessen it. Right now you need positivity in your life, and for things to be uncomplicated."

"Uncomplicated? Things were uncomplicated until you started talking about all this bull shit! And as for the positivity in my life, you are my positivity! How can you still not realise that you're what keeps me grounded?" The words that left my mouth tasted like acid, and I knew from the horror in Dimitri's expression that they had hurt. "But you clearly know what's best, you always have right? So if you think keeping your distance from me is the best way to go, then fine! I'll even help you out by leaving right now!"

"Rose! Wait!"

I rushed out the door and down the building's stairs. Dimitri did not follow.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been walking for, all I knew was that I needed to keep moving and busy myself from the thoughts that were racing through my mind. The sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains, but there was still enough of it left to leave patches of light scattered across the footpath. I was so distracted by the beauty of the lights that I didn't realise that the path had ended and almost fell face first into a fountain. Well, I guess "a fountain" wasn't enough to do it justice. It was huge- easily the size of basketball court, and was made out of a smoothed white marbled stone. In the middle was a sculpture of a shield with the royal crest and a list of all the royal families- it was also made out of the same stone the base of the fountain had been created with. On both sides of the shield, water playfully sprayed out of the sculpture, causing ripples to form on the surface of the water.

I had learnt at school that humans had the tradition of throwing coins into fountains for good luck, but we had a different tradition. Instead of coins, we used stones. And we didn't throw in the stones for our own good fortune, we did it for others. Moroi and Dhampir who lived at Court would carve the names of their loved ones onto the stones, say a prayer and then throw it into the fountain. The sinking sun illuminated the bottom of the fountain, revealing hundreds, maybe even thousands, of stones.

Mesmerised, I glided my fingers across the top of the water. The water cooled my burning hot skin, but not my mood.

_He doesn't love you anymore. You're crazy, and no-one wants to have a crazy person for a girlfriend._

No!

_He says his worried about you, that he wants the best for you. But he's lying._

Stop it!

I crumbled to my knees, and let my body slump against the fountain.

I needed the voices to stop. I needed the darkness to stop.

And I knew from Lissa that there was a way to do that…

Leaning forward, I reached into the water and grabbed a stone that had a jagged edge. My body begun to shake as I brought the sharp object down to my skin. I rested the point of the stone at the top of my wrist. I froze.

_Do it._

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**A/N: Oh no.. the darkness has already started to take over, and it's only been a month! How's Rose going to figure this one out?  
There's plenty more installed, so please favourite/follow/review! :D  
Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so very sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter, life just got really hectic. But things have calmed down, so my uploads will be a lot more regular! Thanks to everyone who is reading this story, for the feedback and to those who have favourited/followed it as well!**

**But anyway, that's enough from me, on with the next chapter!**

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_I crumbled to my knees, and let my body slump against the fountain. _

_ I needed the voices to stop. I needed the darkness to stop. _

_And I knew from Lissa that there was a way to do that… _

_ Leaning forward, I reached into the water and grabbed a stone that had a jagged edge. My body begun to shake as I brought the sharp object down to my skin. I rested the point of the stone at the top of my wrist. I froze._

Chapter Two

"Rose!"

I jumped with fright, and turned to find Christian Ozera heading straight towards me. Panic swelled inside me, causing the stone to slip from my hand. I silently hoped that he wouldn't notice, but of course, he did. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

He smirked as he picked up the stone that I had so stealthily dropped.

"Really, then what's this?" He questioned, holding up the small rock. "Please don't tell me you've lowered to stealing people's good luck rocks to improve your own karma?"

"Of course not!" I grumbled, racking my brain for an excuse. Then I had a light bulb moment. "I'm throwing one in. Do you have a problem with that?"

Christian frowned as he stared at the stone. "I don't, but your boyfriend might."

His casual use of the word 'boyfriend' made me internally cringe. Dimitri might be that at the moment, but how long would that last for? How could I expect him to stand by me when I continuously hurt him?

"What are you on about Ozera?"

He tossed me the rock and I flipped it over to reveal the name, which I hadn't bothered to check before. And as I read it, I really regretted not doing so.

The name on it was Adrian.

I sheepishly looked back up to Christian, who was now frowning. "You look more shocked than me, Hathaway. What's really going on?"

A lot of things had happened since the attack on Court, with one of them being that Christian and Lissa were now bonded. During Avery's mad attempt to bond with Lissa, she had killed Christian. I had managed to hold her off long enough for Lissa to bring him back to life, but it came with a price. Luckily for Christian, Lissa was a lot more conservative with her magic use, so he didn't have to worry about the darkness, yet. But there were still other adjustments that needed to be made, ones that were definitely putting a strain on their relationship.

Having been in the same situation, I'd been helping Christian get use to the bond and giving him pointers on how to block Lissa out during moments Lissa couldn't control it herself. Which usually happened when they were having a disagreement, allowing Christian to see what Lissa was truly thinking, which really didn't help things…

It was strange, but over the past month we had become pretty good friends. Mostly because he was the only person who could handle my random outbursts without getting offended, and because he didn't look at me with the same pity and worry that everyone else did.

"Look, can we just forget about the stupid stone thing? I'm losing my mind, weird stuff like this is bound to happen right?"He shrugged.

"You've always been weird Rose."

"Gee thanks," I mumbled. "So what's up with you? What are you doing walking around at this time?"

Christian averted my gaze. "Just felt like a walk."

"You're a terrible liar. Spill sparky," I ordered.

"I'd really rather not."

"Oh come on! Is it about the bond?"

Christian stayed silent and his cheeks turned red. "Are you blushing? Oh wow, you are! Now you _have _to tell me!"

He took a deep breath and then looked me directly in the eye.

"As you know, there's been a lot of complications with Lissa and I having the bond. It hasn't exactly been easy getting pulled into my girlfriends mind. I mean, we've gotten better at blocking each other. But there's still one area we're struggling in…" He paused, averting his eyes while attempting to find the right words. "The bond is making our umm… our love life, to put it simply, very difficult."

My eyes widened in shock. I was not expecting that.

"Just to clarify, by love life you do mean-"

"Sex," Christian murmured turning even redder.

"Right," I started, clearing my throat. "And I'm assuming that the issue is that you keep getting pulled into her head during your steamy love making sessions?"

"Oh my god, please do not call it that!"

"Do you want my help or not?"

Christian groaned, but eventually crossed his arms and nodded for me to continue.

"I had a similar problem when I was bonded with Lissa, except it didn't take me long to learn to block you guys out completely. You see, I was very motivated not to see you guys getting all hot and sweaty." Christian rolled his eyes. "But in your case, it's more complicated. Both of your feelings are heightened during that moment, and you are both very distracted, for obvious reasons…"

"And your solution?" He asked through gritted teeth. This conversation was awkward for me too, but his embarrassment was making it a lot of fun.

"Well, it's more a suggestion at this stage. I'm not sure it will work, but try finding something to keep you grounded. Try focusing on your favourite feature of Lissa's- and please don't tell me what that is, I have a feeling I don't want to know. If you're always worried about the bond taking over, it will do exactly that." Now it was Christian's turn to look surprised. "Oh, and if you do get pulled into Lissa's mind, don't panic. Just relax and block her out like you do in any other situation."

He grimaced.

"That's easier said than done. It's not exactly glamourous seeing yourself from that point of view…"

"Unfortunately, I know exactly what you're talking about…"

We both burst out laughing.

"We'd have to be the strangest creatures on this planet," Christian remarked, shaking his head.

"Hey speak for yourself, aside from my connection to a psychopathic vampire is who sucking my very essence away, I'm quite spectacular."

Christian snickered, but then met my eyes with a more serious expression.

"You are okay though?"

I paused. Was I?

Just moments ago I had been on the verge of self-harming to prevent the darkness from consuming me, but it appeared Christian's sudden arrival had startled my mind enough for me to supress Spirit's side effects. For now, at least.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Well, as fine as I can be anyway."

He nodded, and gave me a small smile. But he didn't smile out of sympathy, he did it to show he understood.

Christian glanced at his watch. "We should probably go, Jill's due to leave in ten minutes."

We began walking towards the meeting point, which was the Court's garage, when Christian said something completely unexpected.

"Thanks Rose."

I almost stopped walking.

"The great Christian Ozera is thanking me? Let me get a pen to mark this momentous occasion on a calander!"

"Haha, very funny Hathaway," he said sarcastically. "But if you ever breathe a word about what we talked about to anyone, even Lissa, I will singe your hair off."

I laughed.

"Now that's more like it."

A few minutes later, we arrived at the garage to find a small group of people standing around a black SUV. Dimitri was standing in the back, but I couldn't bear to look at him.

"Rose!" Jill rushed forward and swung her arms around me. Smiling, I hugged her back. "I'm so glad you made it."

"I would never miss seeing you off Jill."

Her smile brightened, but I could see a touch of concern in her eyes. She was about to go back into hiding to prevent a group of renegade vampires from killing her, yet she was worried about me? Even though Jill and Lissa hadn't known each other that long, it was moments like these that really proved they were related.

Just like Lissa, Jill always put her friends and family before herself. During the Alchemist attack, Jill, Angeline and Eddie had come back to Court, and were the ones who found Sydney and Adrian, and ultimately saved all our lives. When Dimitri and I had spoken to them on the phone at the docks, we had assumed that they were far away from Court, near where the Keepers were since that's where their new safe location was. Well safe was a bit of a stretch considering Avery had compelled the location from me. But it turns out that when the Keepers had been attacked by the Alchemists, Jill and the others had already left the previous day. The three of them knew something big was about to happened, and agreed to leave the Keepers and stay somewhere near Court so that they'd be nearby if something happened. And boy, did something happen.

When Adrian had been knocked out, Jill refused to just sit around. So her, Eddie and Angeline snuck back into Court and managed to track him and Sydney down- which happened to be in the very same garage we were standing in now. Being the amazing Guardian Eddie is, he burst into the garage without a second thought, and with Angeline's help, managed to knock out the six Alchemists who had been about to drive off with Sydney and Adrian.

Sydney was still conscious when they found them, but Adrian was completely out of it. They were about to take him to a safe location when they heard the gun shots. Angeline and Jill stayed with Adrian while Sydney and Eddie raced towards the sound of gun fire. When they got to our location, they witnessed Avery about to kill me. Sydney used her magic to temporarily blind Avery- and consequently me- while Eddie helped Dimitri knock out the last compelled Guardian.

When they had gotten to me, Eddie had begun to hand cuff Avery. But Sydney had told him to wait, already knowing that I was about to die and that Avery would be my only chance. Dimitri had refused at first, but he eventually conceited. He couldn't let me die.

So my friends struck a deal with Avery, promising to let her go if she used spirit to save my life. But it was a lie, they thought that she'd pass out like Lissa and Adrian did when they used Spirit to create a bond, allowing them the time to lock her up in a secure location until we found a way to either break the bond or stop her from using Spirit all together. But they had underestimated her. When the bond was complete, Avery had pretended to feint and then took off when everyone was distracted by me coming back to life. The others couldn't believe what had happened, but thought that I'd be able to use the bond to find out where she was when I woke up. But Avery excelled at being able to block me out and draw me in at moments of her pleasure. There was no way I was going to figure out her location unless it was what she wanted.

"Rose, are you alright?"

Lissa rested her hand gently on my arm, awakening me from my thoughts. I looked around to find Jill chatting excitedly with Adrian and Sydney, as the others circled around them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

Which was true, but we both knew that my dazing off was more than just exhaustion. One of the fun side effects of spirit that I had discovered was wandering thoughts. I mean, everyone had this to a degree, but spirit's version resulted in me completely blacking out from a situation or conversation. It was like I was trapped in my own mind, and it only ended either through physical contact or own its own.

"Those new sleeping pills aren't working?" She asked, her concern growing.

I shook my head.

"Sonja has one last idea, but she had really hoped we would have found some other way to block out Avery while I slept," I explained. "I'm not sure what it is though, I have to go meet up with her a bit later to find out and get some more tests done."

"Rose! Lissa! Get over here! We have to leave in a minute!" Jill shouted over our group of friends.

We both smiled, and I started to move to where they were all standing when Lissa linked her arm through mine. I couldn't help but laugh- it's how we always use to walk as children.

"I'll come with you to Sonja's," she stated.

Usually I didn't like anyone coming to my appointments, not even Dimitri. But right now, I needed some extra support, and Lissa knew it.

"Thanks Liss."

We reached our group of friends, and began our farewells.

I hugged Eddie last, and I could see a hint of anxiety in his eyes as we broke apart.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I am Rose Hathaway after all," I said playfully, giving him what I hoped was a convincing smile.

He laughed in return.

"That's what worries me," he teased.

I was about to argue back, when then the car's engine turned on.

"Saved by the bell again Castile."

"Again? When have I ever been saved or even needed saving from you Hathaway?"

I shook my head and chuckled.

"When haven't you?" I remarked, folding my arms.

"Okay, okay," Adrian said stepping in between us. "This is going no-where, and I have a feeling it never will. So let's wrap it up people so Jailbait can get on her way to that oh so sweet new safe location."

Eddie and I grinned sheepishly at each other, both shocked and embarrassed that we had just been schooled by Adrian Ivashkov.

It was bitter sweet seeing Jill, Angeline and Eddie climb into the SUV and drive away. We had only just go them back, but we already had to say goodbye. But I knew it was for the best, and that they'd all return home safely when the time was right.

Everyone broke away after that. Adrian and Sydney headed back to their Guest Housing, while Lissa went off with Christian to prepare for a meeting, promising to come find me later for the appointment. That just left Dimitri and me standing alone in the empty garage.

Not knowing what to say, I began to walk away but Dimitri stopped me.

"Wait Rose, we should talk."

I turned around, but kept my eyes locked on floor. I still couldn't look at him. I was afraid that I would snap if I did.

"I guess we do."

"Don't be like that."

"Like what?"

I could hear Dimitri's sigh, but heard his footsteps too late as he closed the gap between us. Gently, he titled my head up so I was forced to look him in the eye.

"Please don't shut me out Rose, not now."

"That's pretty rich coming from you."

Dimitri winched. My words had definitely hit a nerve. He let his hands fall from my face, and I wanted to punch myself. I couldn't keep treating him like this.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Dimitri, I keep hurting you." I reached out and placed my hands in his. "I get it now, I get why you've been keeping your distance. I can't keep lashing out at you, it's not fair." He started to speak, but I stopped him. "I can't keep hurting the people I love around me. So I think you're right, I think it's best we keep our distance from each other."

I expected many reactions from Dimitri, but him kissing me was not one of them. The warmth of his lips consumed me as he wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me closer than he had in weeks. When we finally pulled apart, I found myself unable to speak. But Dimitri made up for that.

"I don't want distance, not anymore. I was wrong. I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought it was the best thing for you. But it wasn't, it was the best thing for me." I nodded, about to tell him it was the best thing for him, and that's exactly why we should keep our space. But he ignored my arguments and continued. "And not because of you and what's been happening with you Rose, but because I'm terrified of losing you again. I've been so scared to let myself love you, because if I love you and lose you…" He couldn't finish, but he didn't need to.

"You're never going to lose me comrade. I've always come back to you, and that's not about to change."

We both smiled, and just stood there holding each other for a long time. I had a feeling that being bonded to Avery was one of those situations where things were going to get worse before they got better, but with my friends by my side I knew I could get through it.

And that's when I passed out.

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**A/N:**

**Hurray! Dimitri and Rose have figured things out, now all they need to do is stop her from losing her mind. Easy right?  
****How are you guys liking the story so far? Is there anything in particular you want to see happen? Let me know!  
All feedback is welcomed.  
****Remember to R&R! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this story, and a special thanks to the people who have taken the time to follow it, add it to their favourites and to review it! I really appreciate your comments, as it definitely motivates me to keep writing, so thank you :) **

**But anyway, on with the chapter!**

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Chapter Three

AS I OPENED MY EYES, I began to remember what had happened. One moment I had been in Dimitri's arms, and then the next there was nothing. I remembered a ripple running straight through my bones, and I knew exactly what had caused it.

"Rose?"

I looked up to see Sonya standing in front of me. I realised that I wasn't in the garage anymore, or in the hospital, or even back in my apartment. As I looked around the room, I recognised the familiar sights of Sonya and Mikhail's lounge room. I had visited here many times, trying to find ways to lessen spirit's side effects. Sonya had been working relentlessly to try and help me, but so far nothing had worked. "How are you feeling?"

I pushed myself up into a sitting position on the couch that someone must have placed me on, and wrapped my arms around my legs.

"I'm okay, but how did I get here?"

My question was answered by Dimitri's entrance. He came and kneeled beside me, relief all over his face.

"When you feinted, I figured Sonya would be the best person to take you to."

"And he was right, I can tell by your aura that an overload of spirit caused this," Sonya added as she sat on the edge of the couch.

I nodded, already knowing what she had discovered. Dimitri looked between us, confused.

"Avery has bonded with another person," I explained, as I tried to rub the exhaustion out of my eyes. "It was that sudden burst of spirit that caused me to black out."

Dimitri frowned.

"Why would she bond with someone else?"

That's what I had been wondering too, but Avery was a hard person to figure out. The real question was whether she had a motive behind her actions, or whether she did what she did because she was crazy? We found out that she was no longer bonded to her brother and ex-Guardian- spirit had gotten the best of them when they had all been locked up, causing them to follow the same path of St. Vladamir's shadow kissed Anna. I shuddered at the thought, but without them in the picture it meant that despite Avery's skill with using spirit, she still lacked the over all power she use to have. We already knew that she had wanted to bond with Lissa during the attack, so was it possible she was trying to regain the same level of spirit she had once had?

I shared my thoughts with Dimitri and Sonya.

Dimitri was the first to realise the implications. "But if what you say is true, then-"

"Yes, my situation is going to get a whole lot more complicated, and whole lot more hard to deal with," I stated. I quickly turned my attention to Sonya. "I know I was meant to come later on to see what your latest idea to help me sleep was, but I'm here now and with everything that's happened..."  
She nodded in understanding, and then told me that she'd be right back.

Dimitri started to speak as soon as Sonya had left the room. "We need to track Avery down. Once we have her in our custody, we can-"

"What?" I said blatantly. "What can we do? Locking her up won't stop her from using spirit. It will limit her accessibility to it, but unless we're going to keep her unconscious the whole time, then she'll use it whenever she gets the chance." We had found out that when Avery was locked up, she had been given anti-depressants like the ones Lissa used to take. But, they didn't work on her. The guards and nurses thought they were though, which is how she was able to use spirit on them and get free. "Let's face it, the only way to break the bond is if one of us dies."

Dimitri's whole body tensed at my words, but he soon relaxed and got up off the floor. I watched him as realisation crossed his face.

"No, there's another way," he began. "Yes it's true that the only way to break the bond is to die, but you're living proof that it doesn't have to be a permanent death."

I looked at him confused, unsure of where he was going with all this. "It's not exactly the most full proof plan, nor the most moral one, but…" He paused, trying to come up with the words.

"Here it is."

We both turned to see Sonja entering the room with a giant metal bottle on wheels. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I can leave you guys if-"

"No, it's fine," Dimitri hurriedly answered before I had the chance to speak. Clearly he didn't want his sudden brain wave to be public knowledge, which made me even more curious to know what it was. But my interest soon turned to the giant hunk of metal Sonja was dragging behind her.

"What on earth is that?"

Sonja brought it over to me so I could have a better look.

"It's sleeping gas."

I swung my legs over the side of the couch, and leaned over to run my fingers across the sleek bottle.

"Seems like a fitting title and exactly what I need. Shouldn't I have been using this from the start?"

"I wanted to try other methods first, as this can have some not-so-nice side effects."

I almost laughed.

"In comparison to the back lash I'm already getting from spirit, this won't be so bad."

"What are the possible side effects?" Dimitri questioned, as he also leaned in for a closer look.

"The main one is drowsiness. Even though it will put you to sleep, you won't ever feel fully rested from it."

I hadn't felt fully rested in weeks, but if there was even the slightest chance I'd feel even a fraction less tired on this gas, then it was definitely worth a shot. "You may also feel nauseous and weak from having to use it every night, and there's also the chance that your body might not agree with it altogether. I know these things seem small in comparison to what you're already going through, but if there was a less invasive and more natural way to have helped you sleep, it would have been better."

I nodded in understanding, and was just about to speak when the sound of the front door opening echoed through the house. A few moments later, Mikhail entered the room and instantly froze.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought Rose wasn't due until later, but that's okay, I'll leave," he mumbled, quickly turning to head out the door he'd just come in.

"No, please don't leave Mikhail," I called out. I got up off the couch and walked towards him. He turned around, his face full of guilt. I hadn't seen Mikhail since the large group meeting at the hospital the day I found out about the bond. He had been avoiding me because he felt ashamed over what had happened when he was being compelled by spirit. He believed it was all his fault that Avery was now bonded to me, because when he had been compelled he had shot me. But he hadn't been himself, he hadn't known what he was doing, and I hated to see him beat himself up about it. "I haven't seen you in so long, please stay."

Mikhail looked around the room, uncertain. His eyes finally locked with Sonja's, which seemed to make him feel instantly more relaxed. He nodded, and then walked over to stand by Sonja.

"How are you?" Mikhail finally spoke, echoing the phrase that I was asked on a daily basis.

"I'm doing well, and about to be doing a lot better thanks to your wonderful wife here."

Mikhail couldn't help but smile as he looked at Sonja with admiration. But as he turned back to me, the guilt returned.

"Rose, I know I've said it before, but I really am so sorry."

I gave him a warm smile.

"I know you are, but you shouldn't be. It wasn't your fault. No-one, including me, thinks it was your fault. Let's just move past this and go back to being friends, okay?"

He finally returned my smile.

"I'd like that."

It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I had hated the tension between the two of us, so it was such a relief to finally have it resolved.

"Great, now that that's sorted, can someone please show me how to use this metal monstrosity?"

Sonja did exactly that, and before too long Dimitri and I were walking out of the small, beautiful house they lived in. It was located on the edge of Court, and was given to them by Lissa as a wedding gift and payment for Sonja's services in regards to helping her uncover more about spirit.

As we walked back to my apartment, lugging the metal gas bottle and box of attachments Sonja had given me, I couldn't help but bring up what Dimitri had been about to say before we had been interrupted.

"So, are you going to tell me now?"

Dimitri smirked.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to crack." I rolled my eyes, but stayed quiet, gesturing for him to continue. "I don't know exactly how to say it," he finally replied.

I stopped walking, and grabbed his arm, bringing him to a halt as well. I put down the box I had been carrying, I looked up at Dimitri.

"It's okay, I think I know what you're wanting to say." The more I had thought about his words, the more they began to make sense. _Yes it's true that the only way to break the bond is to die, but you're living proof that it doesn't have to be a permanent death. _"But if we kill Avery, we either have to bring her back using spirit, resulting in her being bonded to someone else, or cross our fingers that medical science will bring her back. Both of these aren't great ideas, for the obvious reasons."

Dimitri shook his head.

"No, that's not what I was going to say." He looked away, clearly torn. Dimitri was an honourable man, but when it came to saving my life, I knew he'd be willing to do anything. But what he said next, completely shocked me. "I don't think we should kill her. I think we should turn her into a Stirgoi." 

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**A/N: Yikes, did Dimitri's idea shock anyone? And Avery's bonded with another person! I wonder what she's up to...  
And if you can take the time to let me know what you think of the story so far, it would be much appreciated! :)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! A massive thanks to the people who have given me feedback on how you're liking the story so far, as it really does motivate me, and just brightens my day! But anywho, I'm going to keep this short and sweet, so on with the next chapter! **  


* * *

Chapter Four

FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE, I was rendered speechless. I could not believe what I had just heard. Both because it was coming from Dimitri, who had been forced to turn Stirgoi himself, and because it was the answer to everything.

At seeing my reaction, he placed the bottle of gas down on the ground and rushed to explain himself.

"I would never want to subject anyone to the horror of being turned Stirgoi, nor would I want another one released into our world, especially Avery. But I'm not suggesting we keep her Stirgoi."

My jaw slackened in realisation. "You want us to turn her Stirgoi and then use spirit to bring her back."

Dimitri nodded.

As awful as the plan was, and despite the dozens of risks attached to it, it was the only thing that would completely free me from her clutch without making us murders. But there was still one thing that bothered me.

"If we go ahead with the plan, and I'm still not sure if we should, there is no way that Lissa can find out about it. If she does, she'll want to be the one to stake Avery, and we can't let that happen. We can't let her risk her life. She's already done more than enough of that."

We both agreed, and were about to start walking again when a body slammed right into me.

"Oh my gosh Rose! Are you alright?"

I felt the familiar feeling of Lissa's arms wrap around my side, and I relaxed into her embrace. As I looked up into her beautiful green eyes, I noticed four Guardians standing behind her, all fanned out and ready at a moment's notice to defend their Queen.

"What are you doing here Liss? I thought you had meetings."

"I do, but when I listened to the message Dimitri had left on my phone explaining what had happened, I postponed." I looked over glaringly at Dimitri, who just shrugged, as if to say: _I thought she should know that her best friend had randomly passed out for unknown reasons. _"Are you okay? What did Sonya say?"

I plastered on a smile as we pulled apart.

"I'm perfectly fine, I just feinted from exhaustion." Dimitri raised his eyebrows at my words, but didn't protest or call me out on my lies. He understood why I was keeping the real reason I'd blacked out a secret, like me he knew that it would stop her from worrying about me even more, so he stayed quiet. "But Sonya has given me something new to try, and we're all confident it will work," I said, pointing to the gas bottle Dimitri was once again holding. But Lissa barely even registered it, and instead looked me over multiple times, trying to see for herself if I really was okay. She eventually saw that I was, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, but I still wish I had listened to my messages sooner." She turned to Dimitri. "If anything like this happens again, please contact me directly through the Guardians."

Dimitri nodded. "I most certainly will."

I looked at them both indignantly. They were ganging up on me.

"Do I get a say in this?" I demanded, crossing my arms like a three year old who had just been told they couldn't have an ice cream. "Dimitri shouldn't have even told you about this, you're way too busy to be bothered over nothing."

Lissa looked offended.

"How could you say that Rose? Of course he should have told me! Just because I'm Queen now, it doesn't mean I'm not your best friend anymore."

I looked away ruefully.

"I'm sorry Lissa, that's not what I meant," I managed after a few seconds of silence.

Lissa stepped forward. "It's okay, I know." She then bent down and picked up the box I had been carrying. I moved to take it from her, but she refused.

"I may not be able to help you deal with the burden of Avery, but I can help you with this. So let me do it." I opened my mouth to argue, but she shook her head. "Please let me."

I bit my tongue and nodded, reasoning with myself that if I was in her situation, I'd be doing exactly the same thing.

Lissa began to walk down the path to my apartment, while Dimitri and I fell into step behind her. It was later in the evening now, and everyone was out and walking around Court, busy with their lives. But nearly everyone we passed stopped to bow at Lissa, and stare. The Moroi's traditions had barely changed, and that included what a Queen did and did not do. And what a Queen definitely did not do was laborious work, so it was a shock to everyone to see her carrying a box, even despite the fact it was not heavy. But Lissa refused to hand it over to any of us, no matter how many times we asked.

When we eventually reached the apartment, I could see a sheen of sweat on Lissa's face. The box may not have seemed heavy to me, but to a Moroi it was. My guilt instantly increased, and I quickly fetched her a glass of water.

She sculled it down in an instant, and then looked at her watch anxiously.

"You go Liss, I'm fine now."

She looked torn.

"I can stay if you want? I'm sure I can convince the Council to meet at a later time…" But she didn't seem so certain.

Dimitri intervened. "It's important that the meeting goes ahead. It's okay, I'll look after her."

He was right, the meeting had to happen. It was all about deciding the new date for the vote, which was due to happen next week, along with other house keeping matters. But if it was delayed, then so would the vote, and so would Jill's arrival home.

Lissa nodded, and began to head to the door, where her Guardians were waiting outside.

"Okay, but please contact me right away if anything happens again. And I mean anything." We both promised, and with that she left.

As soon as the door closed behind her, I let my head fall into my hands.

"I know it's for the best, but I hate lying to her. Especially when she's doing everything she can to help."

I heard Dimitri move to my bedroom and place the bottle of gas on the ground, hopefully in plain sight or I had a feeling I'd trip over it.

"You're her best friend, but you're also her Guardian, which will require making tough decisions sometimes," he answered as he came and stood in front of me.

I lifted my head to meet Dimitri's soft gaze. He was right of course, but it still didn't make the fact I was lying to Lissa any easier. We were currently standing in my small kitchen, with me leaning against the counter while Dimitri stood with his back to the wall, looking all god-like as he usually did. It took a lot effort on my part, but I eventually managed to look beyond Dimitri at the clock hanging on the wall, and almost swore at the time.

"You better get going, it's your shift to Guard Christian." Dimitri frowned, and turned to follow my line of sight. The expression on his face told me that he also hadn't been paying attention to the time.

"I can make other arrangements," he stated, turning back to me, just as torn as Lissa had been.

I shook my head.

"Don't be silly."

"But I promised that I'd look after you, and I intend on doing exactly that," he argued.

We were both incredibly stubborn, but I knew if I used logic I'd win out against him.

"And you have looked after me, but I don't need 24 hour surveillance. Besides, I'm just going to try and get in as much sleep as possible while the bond is still fizzled out." Dimitri studied me, still uncertain. "You should really go, or you'll be late."

He eventually caved, and stepped forward to plant a kiss on my forehead.

"Okay, but I'll be right back after my shift."

I smirked and glided my hand down his chest, enjoying the feeling of his body tensing at my touch.

"You better be Comrade. After my sleep, I'll have more energy than I've had in weeks, and I plan on using it wisely."

Dimitri chuckled, but didn't move away. Instead, he placed his hands on my hips and drew me even closer.

"I really can make other arrangements you know."

He was so close his breath was tickling my lips. But instead of doing everything my body was aching to do, I pulled away and smiled teasingly at him.

"As tempting as that is, I really think you should go. Christian will be at the Council meeting with Lissa, and those things have a habit of going pear shaped, so you should be there just in case." Dimitri seemed to sober at my words, but the longing was still there. "Also, I really do need some sleep."

He smiled in understanding, and left a few moments later, promising to return with my favourite donuts and a movie for us to watch.

As soon as he was gone, I waited for exactly five minutes and then headed out the door.

I knew that what I was doing was incredibly reckless, as I really did need to get some sleep. And now was the perfect opportunity to do so with Spirit being temporarily offline. But everything Dimitri had said about his plan to break the bond with Avery was playing on my mind, and I needed some answers. And there was only one person who could help me.

"Oh hi Rose," Sydney greeted, clearly surprised to see me standing outside her apartment door. "Is everything okay?" I bit my lip, but didn't answer. I didn't want to risk anyone else overhearing our conversation. Sydney soon caught on and invited me inside.

Lissa had given Sydney this apartment to stay in for the duration of her stay, while she helped us figure out what the Alchemists were up to. And conveniently, she was just two floors down from me.

"I need to ask a favour," I started as soon as she closed the door.

Sydney went and took a seat on the single couch located in the middle of her small open planned apartment, and gestured for me to join her.

"Yeah, I'd figured that since you're not the type who makes leisurely house calls. What's up?"

I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to word my question properly. But there wasn't really an easy way to say it.

"I need to interrogate your sister."

Sydney's breath caught as her eyes widened in disbelief.

Okay, so maybe there _was_ a better way of saying it.

"You're joking right?" She asked after she had regained her composure. "Your people have already asked her everything they need to know, but she won't budge." Her expression saddened. "Not even with me."

I hated upsetting Sydney like this, but I couldn't walk away now.

"I know, but the Guardians were asking her about the Alchemist's plots and why they attacked Court, and so on. What I want to ask her about is Avery."

Sydney's gaze hardened.

"Look, I know what Zoe did was wrong. But she's still a child. A child who has been manipulated by some really evil, twisted people. She's already been through enough with being locked up in a cell and questioned day in and day out. She's only being given a break due to the fuss and extra security needed over the vote starting up again, but as soon as that's all over with, they'll start the interrogation again."

I wanted to stop and tell her I was sorry for asking, and that I wouldn't question her sister if that's what she wanted. But I couldn't. If we were really going to go after Avery and through with Dimitri's plan, we needed every piece of Intel on her we could get, from every source we could get it from.

"I'm sorry Sydney, but the fact remains that you owe me." Sydney stared in shock. "I rescued you, only to get captured myself, and was only saved because it was a part of the Alchemist's plan to get into Court. A plan, I might add, that included your teacher Ms. Terwilliger."

Another thing we had learnt after the attack, was that Ms. Terwilliger had never actually returned back to Palm Springs once Sydney had been rescued. Instead she had been abducted by the Alchemists, and forced to use her powers to conceal my where abouts from any magical spells. She was told that if she didn't do this, they would find Sydney again and kill her.

Jackie, loving Sydney as much as she did, obeyed and did what they asked. She had been shielding my location the whole time I had been held in captivity, and only stopped when the Alchemists had wanted me to be found. She even lied to Sydney on the phone about being back in Palm Springs, and about being too weak to be able to help her find me. When the Alchemists had led the attack on Court, they had taken Jackie with them. And when the fighting had broken out, she had used the little magic she had left to escape her captors, and eventually came across Angeline, Adrian and Jill in the garage. She had stayed in Court for a week after that, but returned home escorted by two Guardians shortly after. She was now living with other members of her coven, using magical spells to keep her location hidden from the Alchemists.

I didn't blame Jackie for the decision she made, in fact I admired her for it. She was a loyal person, which was a dying trait in a lot of people. But I knew bringing up what she had done would would hit Sydney hard, which was exactly what was needed if she was to help me.

"Oh come on Rose, you know she was only doing that for me!"

"I know, but even so your people have caused a lot of mess," I stated, looking her straight in the eye. I could see that she was starting to waver. "And I want to help clean it up, but I can't do that while I'm in this state." My gaze softened as I looked at her pleadingly. "Please, help me."

Sydney regarded me with mixed emotions. Fear, anger, sadness, but also trust. As much as she might have hated my kind at one point, she no longer did. She knew that we weren't the evil creatures the Alchemists had made us out to be. We were the ones she now trusted, and that seemed to include me.

She sighed, clamping her hands to her face in defeat.

"Okay, but I want to be there when you question her." I immediately agreed to her terms, already knowing that that's what she would want, and what I would need anyway. Sydney paused in thought. "How did you manage to get access to integrate Zoe? They only let me visit her twice a week, and apart from that, the only other person allowed to see her is your head Guardian Hans."

"Ah yeah, about that…" I looked down guiltily, fiddling with my hands. "I wasn't here just to get your permission to see Zoe. You see, you're also going to be the one to break me in to see her."

* * *

**A/N: So Ms. Terwilliger's appearance at the end of Broken Bond has been explained, do you think she did the right thing? And Rose is going to attempt to get some info out of Zoe, but will she talk?**

**Please continue letting me know what you think guys, as the more interest this story gets through reviews, favourites and follows, the faster these chapters will get uploaded! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

MY EYES SLOWLY FLUTTERED OPENED, eventually focusing on the clock beside my bed. It was 7pm, the typical starting time of a Vampiric day. My mind and body felt groggy, and my breathing was slow and heavy, which I soon remembered was to do with the ugly, plastic mask that was currently wrapped around my face. Bit by bit, sensation began to return to me, including the feeling of Dimitri's arms around my waist. Taking the mask off and tossing it to the ground, I leaned back into his body, laying my head into the nape of his neck. He chuckled.

"Sleeping beauty awakes."

I smile.

"And how long have you been awake for?"

He shrugged.

"Not that long. I've been enjoying the scenery." His lips trailed down the side of my neck, and stopped to lightly kiss my shoulder. I shivered. My head had gone fuzzy again, but this time for an entirely different reason. "How did you sleep?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it sleep. But I didn't get pulled into Avery's head, which is an incredible achievement." I turned so that I could face Dimitri. My smile widened. "This could actually work. I mean, I feel groggy at the moment, but in time I'll get use to that."

Dimitri returned my smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"This isn't a permanent fix though, if what you say is true and she bonded with that person to increase her power, then she's not going to stop there."

He was right, we both knew she wasn't going to stop, which is why I needed to see Zoe. Avery was working with the Alchemists so that she could bond with Lissa, but when she was double crossed, she retaliated and that's how I ended up bonded with her instead. But despite all that, surely there was something that she told the Alchemists that could help us figure out her game. When she was younger she was bonded with her brother and Guardian in order to increase Spirit's power, but something told me she wasn't going to repeat the past.

"I know, but right now it's working, and that's definitely something to be happy about," I said softly.

"You're right, I'm sorry." His eyes instantly lit up. "Another good thing is that you can't hit the snooze button on this."

I rolled my eyes. Sonja had installed a timer in the machine so that I could set it for how many hours of sleep I needed. I didn't exactly understand how it worked, but I knew that gas shut off at a certain time, allowing my body to wake up.

"I'm sorry, but we can't all rise with the setting of the sun. I swear my body is more human than vampire, I've always found it easier to sleep during the night."

"Well, why don't you have a bit more of a rest while I go make us some breakfast?"

"See, this is why I love you," I replied with a smirk as he got out of bed.

He mockingly shook his head.

"I really hope that's not the only reason," he called out teasingly as he started walking to the kitchen.

His words played in my mind as I watched him head around the corner, shirtless. No, it was definitely not the only reason.

I was still feeling a bit foggy, so it didn't take me long to curl up into a ball and drift off to sleep. Unfortunately, it also didn't take me long to get pulled into Avery's head.

Like every other time I had been drawn into her mind, I had no idea where she was. She could have been down the road, or in a different Country for all I knew. She was so adapt with Spirit's power that she only let her guard down when she knew it was safe to do so. But this time was different, because for the first time since we bonded, she wasn't alone.

Avery was standing in the middle of a dusty, dimly lit room, surrounded by brick walls. From the tattered looking wooden stairs leading up to a door in the corner of the room, I guessed she was in a basement of some sort. But it was the other corner of the room that held Avery's attention. There sat a male Moroi, who appeared to be middle aged, with his hands chained to the wall above his head.

"What have you done to me?" He spat, glaring furiously at Avery. The man looked dishevelled, with his white dress shirt torn all over and covered in blood, and his blonde hair resembling a wet mop. The tone of his skin also revealed that he had been deprived of blood, which was essential for Moroi survival. I knew instantly who this man was, he was the one Avery had bonded with.

She walked closer to him and bent down so she could look him straight in the eyes.

"I saved your life."

His stare intensified.

"You killed me!"

Avery held up her hand and spoke softly, like she was talking to a child.

"Now dear, I only killed you so that I could save you. You may not be able to see it yet, but I've given you an opportunity to better your life."

The man's eyes widened.

"You're insane."

Avery shook her head and stood up straight.

"Am I?" She questioned, as she paced in front of him. "Let's look at the facts shall we? You are an outcast of our society. After a business deal went wrong, you lost your job and turned to alcohol for comfort."

"Stop," the man grumbled. But Avery didn't listen.

"Your new found alcoholism caused you to then lose your wife, and your son's respect."

"Stop."

"With no family, friends, career or home left, you've spent the last three years in and out of bars drinking away what little life you have left."

"STOP!"

Avery paused and turned to the man. His body was hunched forward, his breathing heavy.

"Whoops, did I hit a nerve?" She crooned. The man stayed silent. "Look, despite what you think, I'm not here to make your life worse than it already is. I've given you a second chance at life, and I really think you should take it."

The man lifted his head, and in his eyes shined a glint of curiosity.

"How can you give me a second chance?"

I could feel Avery smile.

"Well, I-" She paused, startled. "Just excuse me for one moment."

The man was clearly confused and opened his mouth to question her, but before he could speak Avery hurriedly ran up the stairs and through the door I had spotted before. She turned a corner and came face to face with a mirror. Her hair was as messy as birds nest and she looked more tired than me, which I didn't think was possible.

"Ah Rose, you managed to slip in there for a moment, but unfortunately we have to say goodbye for now. I have some important business to attend to."

And with that, I was blocked from her mind, and forced back into my own.

Head spinning, I sat up, trying to let everything I had just seen sink in. It was clear that Avery was trying to recruit the Moroi man, but why? Now that she was bonded with him, she didn't need his permission to suck away his life force...

"Breakfast is ready!" Dimitri's voice and the amazing smell of bacon awoke me from my thoughts. I was still a bit light headed from the gas, but with a little bit of effort I managed to get to my feet and walk around the corner. Dimitri's concerned voice was the first thing to greet me. "Are you okay?"

I realised that I was wearing an expression of shock, and quickly changed it to a warm smile.

"Yeah I'm fine, just still feeling a bit groggy, but it will pass." I took a seat at my small table, and Dimitri put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. I scoffed it all down in record time, and went to grab a glass of orange juice for us both while he finished off his plate. I gave him a glass, and sat back down to drink mine, but I stopped myself.

I had planned on sitting through breakfast without telling Dimitri about what I'd seen through the bond, and had planned on lying to him about going to visit Zoe, but I just couldn't do it. I was constantly lying and keeping secrets from him as a form of protection, but he didn't need protecting. We weren't each other's Guardians, we were supposed to be in a relationship. We needed to be able to trust each other, which required me being honest with Dimitri, starting right now.

"There's something I need to tell you."

I explained everything to him as he sat there in silence. It was only when I had finished that he spoke.

"So you lied to me yesterday when you said you were going to try and sleep when I left?"

I internally cringed, and nodded.

Dimitri exhaled and ran his hand through his hair, which was a key sign that he was frustrated.

"You need to stop lying to me Rose. I get that you're keeping things from Lissa because you're her Guardian and that requires protecting her in every way possible, but you can't do that with me."

"I know."

"The last time you made a rash decision and lied to me, I almost ended up losing you forever." I could hear his voice beginning to break. I knew that he was referring to when Mikhail had shot me and I had lied to Dimitri, claiming that it wasn't my own blood but someone else's when he noticed the blood stain forming from the wound. I knew we didn't have time to heal me, and I also didn't want waste Lissa's energy. But he was right, my decision had almost cost me my life.

"I know, and I'm sorry." I reached across the table and placed my hand on his own. "From now on I'm going to do my best to not make stupid decisions, and to be honest with you. I promise."

Dimitri smiled and squeezed my hand.

"Good," he replied as he stood up and took our dishes to the sink and began washing them. "So what do you think Avery's intention his with recruiting this man?" He questioned over his shoulder.

I had been mulling over everything that had happened all through breakfast, but I still didn't have a clue.

"I'm not sure," I eventually answered, just as my phone buzzed. I walked over to where it was sitting on the couch, and saw that I had a message from Sydney.

_Meeting Zoe in an hour. Spell is ready to go. Don't be late._

Straight to the point as always. I walked back over to Dimitri and showed him the message. "I may not know what her plan is, but I'm going to find out."

"Just don't be too mean," he uttered as handed the phone back to me.

I frowned.

"Hey, it's not my fault the general population pisses me off. If they stopped being annoying, then I wouldn't have anything to be angry about."

Dimitri gave me a look of amusement. "It's not funny it's true!

"I know, that's why it's so funny."

I wanted to face palm.

"You've been spending way too much time with Christian, your comebacks are starting to sound just as stupid as his own."

"No, I don't think that's true. It's just that stupid retorts are required for stupid comments," he snickered.

I mockingly glared at him.

"This is going no-where, so I'm going to have a shower, or is that a stupid statement as well?"

Dimitri just laughed as I headed to the bathroom, and I couldn't help but join him. It felt so good to joke around with him again. It had been so long since we'd both had a normal moment with each other. Which is exactly why I needed to speak to Zoe, because the faster I figured out Avery's plan, the faster we could figure out how to find her and put an end to this bond once and for all.


End file.
